WHO confirms 10 global hantavirus cases, Hondius crew remain symptom-free
Key takeaways
- World Health Organization has reiterated that the risk of hantavirus spreading is ‘low’.
- Eight cases were laboratory-confirmed, while two were classified as probable, according to the WHO.
- Three people have died since the outbreak began on the MV Hondius, a Dutch luxury cruise ship that departed Argentina on a polar expedition.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
World Health Organization has reiterated that the risk of hantavirus spreading is ‘low’.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo The Dutch flagged cruise ship MV Hondius where the first cases of hantavirus emerged [Jorge Guerrero/AFP]By Al Jazeera Staff, Anadolu and Reuters Published On 15 May 202615 May 2026There are currently 10 global cases of hantavirus, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said, lowering its earlier figure of 11 after a person who was thought to have contracted hantavirus was confirmed to be negative.
Maria Van Kerkhove, the director of the WHO’s department for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, said on Friday that the earlier count “included one individual who had an inconclusive test … We’ve had further confirmation from the United States that person was negative.”